What started as a personal journey of a doctor turned patient morphed into a way to share what’s universal in dealing with cancer, in my case a nasty leukemia (CLL), a failed transplant and a successful clinical trial. The telling of my journey has become a journey to teach about CLL, related blood issues and all cancers. Please visit our new website http://cllsociety.org for the latest news and information. Smart patients get smart care™. If you want to reach me, email bkoffmanMD@gmail.com

Sunday, November 10, 2013

iwCLL 2013: Part 2: Dr. George Calin Explains more about the Critical Role of micro-RNA in CLL

Besides addressing our critical importance of needing to understand the biology of our cancer in order to stop it, in Part Two of my interview from iwCLL 2013, Dr. George Calin of MDACC gives us a brief history lesson on micro-RNA and its relevance for us in unlocking the mysteries of CLL.

He also reinforces and enhances our modern understanding that CLL is not just about our stupid clone or clones, but it is all about how that stupid clone or clones prospers and evolves with the support of many helper or nurse cells that have been tricked into coming to the cancer's aid. Micro-RNA is one way all these cells communicate.

More than that, he touches on one of my favorite themes: the need to have better predictive tests so that we can individualize therapies. He visualizes a time when, by measuring these tiny "non-coding" pieces of genetic material in the blood, we will be able to better predict what therapies will work for which patients, saving much unnecessary treatments with all the attendant risk of collateral damage.

In the second and final part of the interview, Dr. Calin expands on the research that he is doing to help all of with CLL.

The abstracts from ASH have just been released and I am going to be very busy reviewing and digesting and commenting on some of the major ones here, but first, in lead up to ASH in December, I have several more very relevant video interviews including hearing from Dr. Kipps, Byrd, Pagel, Kay, and Sharman from the iwCLL meeting in Cologne to post here over the next few weeks.

This is the last iwCLL interview that is mostly basic science. The rest are more "clinical" and more immediately relevant.

I will be attending ASH again, and welcome your suggestions for questions and concerns for when I meet with the leading researchers. Drop me an email or comment and I'll try to help. After all, we are all in this together.

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About Me

BkoffmanMD@gmail.com
A family doc and husband of 1 and father of 4 and grandfather of 3 who loves his family and his work. I live with no TV and no microwave, but wouldn't last a minute without friends, art, music, books and the beach. Hockey, good jokes and exotic travel are pretty important too. Writing, Talmud and Zen give meaning to my life. My diet is organic vegan, often raw. I hope the blog makes the load lighter and the path both safer and more fun for those who read it or are going to similar places. I want to help. I crave your comments. If you are new to the blog, check out the portrait my son Will painted (it is the first post), and my very first text post.